Display device



G. E. COLLINS DISPLAY DEVICE July 9, i940.

Filed Aug. 5, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l NVENTO faf'tg@ @Z22-275. BY

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G. B. COLLINS DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Aug. 3, 1938 2 sheets-@wb2 INI/ENTR A @301:76 E. ZZZS' In' Patented July 9, 1940 2,207,117

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY DEVICE George Collins, Notre Dame, Ind. Application August 3, 1938, Serial No. 222,887

s claims. (cl. io-13o) This invention relates to display devices. More type disclosed herein may be employed for the particularly, it relates .to illuminated display depurpose of indicating to vehicles or pedestrians vices in which transparent members are shaped the direction of an intended turn by a driver. to form the indicia constituting the display and Many other and further objects, features, and

are so constructed and arranged in combination advantages of the present invention will become with a source of light as to disseminate the lumiclearly apparent from the following specification nation therefrom. when considered in connection with the accom- It has long been customary to construct signs panying drawings forming a part thereof. composed of a sheet or pane-of glass which has In the drawings: indicia etched upon the surface thereof and to Figure 1 is a fragmentary rear perspective View 10 illuminate the indicia by means of introducing of an automotive vehicle body embodying a turn light into one edge of the pane of glass. The indicator constructed in accordance with the etched indicia constitute means for scattering the teachings of the present invention.

illumination within the glass pane. Signs of this Figure 2 is an enlarged rear elevational view of type have not proven particularly satisfactory for the turn indicator shown in Figure 1 with por- 15 several reasons. In the first place, the glass from tions broken away to illustrate in detail the conwhich they are formed is not sufficiently transstruction and arrangement of parts thereof. parent to provide an efficient device, a large Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken o amount of the light introduced at the edge of the substantially on the line' 3-3 of Figure 2 illuspane being absorbed by the glass itself. Secondtrating in further detail the constructionand ar- 20 1y, the indicia constituting but a small portion of rangement of parts of the turn indicator shown in the surface of the glass pane merely serve to dis- Figure 2. seminate a very small amount of the light ac- Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially tually introduced into the edge of the pane. As a on the line 4--4 of Figure 2 illustrating in detail result, a very small percentage of the light from the cross-sectional configuration of the improved the source used is available for display purposes. turn indicator.

The present invention contemplates the pro- Figure 5 is a diagrammatic View illustrating on vision of a display device wherein the indicia are form of circuit connection which may be emformed from rod-like sections of highly transpar'- ployed to operate the turn indicator illustrated in 3 ent plastic material, the rod-like portions being the preceding figures. 30 shaped to form the particular indicia desired. Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the The rod-like sections of plastic material are promanner in which the turn indicator is illuminated vided with scattering centers along one side by lighting One of the lights thereof. thereof and means are provided for introducing .Figure '7 is a front elevational view of a modiv 3f' light into the rod-like sections from one or both ed form of the display device embodying the im- 3" axial ends thereof. These scattering centers serve provements of the present inVentiOn With porto disseminate a very substantial proportion of tions broken away to illustrate the interior con- 'the light introduced and thus make available a struction and arrangement of parts.

very substantial proportion of the light from the Figure 8 is a transverse sectional View taken 4U source available for display purposes. substantially along the line 8-8 of Figure 7 illus- 40 The present invention contemplates the protrating in detail the CIOSS-SeCtiOnel Configuravision of a display device construction of highly tion 0f the display device ShOWn therein. transparent plastic material which is considerably Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective more transparent than glass and consequently, view illustrating in detail one manner in which results in a material reduction in the loss of light the rod-like members constituting the display de- 45 Vdue to absorption. vice may be preformed to provide light scattering Still further and more specifically the invencenters. tion contemplates the location of the light scat- Figure 10 is a more or less diagrammatic transtering centers and the cross-sectional form of the verse sectional view through one of the rod-like 5U rod in such a way that the disseminated light is members illustrating the manner in which the 50 concentrated in a forward direction. rod-like member serves to concentrate the light Still further, and more specifically, the invendisseminated by the scattering centers. tion contemplates the provision of a display de- With more particular reference to the drawvice intended for use as a turn indicator on auings, it will be readily appreciated that the specitomotive vehicles in which a sign of the generic fic embodiments of the invention illustrated therein are merely illustrative of the generic inventive concept presented in the present application and defined in the subjoined claims and, therefore, many and various different embodiments thereof will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art.

It is well recognized that light introduced into one axial end of a highly transparent rod-like member will be retained within the member and transmitted to the opposite axial end thereof substantially undiminished except for the absorption of the material of which the rod is formed. In the event the rod is formed of very highly transparent material, as is contemplated herein, and in the event the rod has an extremely smooth surface, light introduced into one end thereof would be transmitted substantially undiminished to the other end in accordance with the well known physical law of total internal reflection. This, of course, is the result of the fact that practically all of' the light entering the axial end of the rod does not meet the surface of the rod at a sufficiently small angle of incidence to escape from the rod and is, therefore, reflected back into the rod.

It has been discovered that in the event a substantially continuous row of light scattering centers are provided along one side of the rod, the light rays striking these light scattering centers will be scattered in such a way that they will strike the surface at an angle less than the angle of total internal reflection and thus be disseminated from the rod making the rod itself appear to glow or be illuminated when light is introduced at one axial end thereof. It will be .obvious that by properly constructing and arranging these light scattering centers along the rod, substantially all of the light introduced into the axial end of the rod may be disseminated therefrom at any desired points thus making available, for the purpose of illuminating the rod, a very substantial proportion of the light from the source used thereby creating an illuminated display device of relatively high efiiciency.

It will be readily appreciated that the rod may be made to appear very brilliantly illuminated by so locating the scattering centers on a rod having a particular cross-section that a focusing of the disseminated light Within a predetermined zone is obtained.

While it will be readily obvious that the invention is susceptible of many and various widely different useful applications, in Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings is shown a construction in which the invention has been applied to turn indicators for automotive vehicles.

In this specific embodiment of the invention, the device may conveniently be mounted upon some portion of the rear end of an automotive vehicle i5 and in the specific form shown, it will be seen that the turn indicator, generally indicated as i6, is supported on and anchored to the conventional bracket il which also serves to support a license plate |81. 'I'his bracket as is conventional in automotive vehicle constructions, is carried by a rearwardly projecting tail lamp bracket |9 supported upon a rear fender 2G of the vehicle |5. This tail lamp bracket I9, as is customary, serves to mount a tail lamp 2|. A turn indicator is preferably secured to the license plate supporting bracket by means of a support member 25 which serves to support a backing plate 26 in which are mounted the varnaomi? ious members making up the turn indicator construction.

This backing plate 26. in the embodiment of the invention shown, is preformed to provide an external configuration substantially that of an equilateral parallelogram and is shaped to provide lamp housings 28 at each of the opposite ends thereof. The body of the support member 26 is preformed to provide grooves 29 which are adapted to receive the transparent plastic rod-like members which make up the sign construction. In the form of the invention shown, transparent rod-like members making up the sign construction may be conveniently formed of plastic material by injection molding to provide a central or horizontal bar 30 with angularly rearwardly projecting portions 3| at each of the opposite ends thereof whereby to provide a construction representing a double ended arrow with the central member 30 constituting the shaft of the arrow and the rearwardly projecting portions 3| constituting the bar thereof. 'I'he adjacent ends of the adjacent members 3| are preferably separated by an opaque filling member 32 which serves to preclude the dissemination of light from the members 3| through these ends thereof. It will be readily apparent that the members 3| each is integrally joined with the member 30 at a point closely adjacent each of the lamp housings 28 thereby facilitating the introduction of light into the axial ends of these members. A pair of lamp sockets 40 of conventional construction, each serving to' mount an electric light bulb 4|, are anchored in position with respect to the lamp housings 28 in order to position the lamp bulbs 4| in such a position with respect to the reflector as to project light into the axial ends of the rods 30 and 3| which serve to make up the sign.

Each of these lamp sockets 40 is provided with a generally elliptical reflector 42 which serves to cooperate with the lamp housings 28 and socket 40 to preclude the escape of light from the bulb in any direction other than into the axial ends of the rods 30 and 3|. Consequently, it will be readily appreciated that substantially all of the light from the bulbs which is not absorbed by the reflector, housing, and socket members will be directed into the interior of the rod-like members 30 and 3| which constitute the sign.

As is clearly seen by reference to Figure 2, the axial ends of these rod-like members 30 and 3|, adjacent each of the bulbs 4|, are formed generally arcuate in order to equalize the amount of light which is projected into each of the members. In order to facilitate the entrance of the light into the rod-like members, it has been found desirable to secure glass strips 50 and 5| over the axial ends of these members by means of suitable highly transparent cement. This insures a smooth highly transparent surface at the axial end of the rod-like members. These glass members 50 and 5| may, if desired, constitute filters and in the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 6 of the drawings, the filter 50 may conveniently be formed oi green glass while the filter 5| is preferably formed of red glass.

An illustrative form of circuit diagram is shown in Figure 5. 'Ihs construction includes a switch arm 55 which is directly connected to. one terminal of the battery 56 of the vehicle. This switch arm 55 may be moved to connect one side of the battery with either of two contacts 5l each of which contacts 51 are connected with one side of each of the lamps 4I by means of wires 58. One side of the battery is connected to the vehicle frame as is conventional and the opposite sides ofv the lamps 4| are similarly grounded to the frame.

From the above described construction, it will be obvious that swinging the switch arm 55 into contact with either one or the other of the contacts 51 will serve to selectively illuminate either one or the other of the lamps 4|.

The eiiect produced in the sign is clearly illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings wherein the lamp 4| at the right hand side of the figure has been illuminated and thereby causes illumination of the entire member 30 and the members 3| at the right hand side of the device. Inasmuch as the filter member 5|) is green, the members 30 and 3| will appear as green. Similarly, when the lamp 4| at the left hand side of Figure 6 is illuminated by swinging the switch member 55 in contact with the opposite contact 51, the entire member 30 and the members 3| at the left hand side of Figure 6 will be i1- luminated as red. In this way it will be seen that either a red or a green arrow will be produced in the display device depending upon whether it is the desire of the driver to indicate either a right or left hand turn.

The rod-like members 30 and 3| are provided along their rear sides with a row of generally conical, rough walled depressions 60 which serve to provide light 'scattering centers in order to disseminate the light entering the axial ends of the rods. While the series of rough walled, generally conical depressions in the rear side of the rod-like members 30 and 3| have been found to provide a particularly effective means for scat.

tering the light introduced into the-interior of the rod, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many and various different means may be employed in order to obtain the desired light scattering effects, such for example, as scratching the surface of a rod or preforming it in any suitable way in order to provide a rough or irregular surface, or moulding to include light reflecting particles within the body of the rod.

In Figures 'i' to l0, inclusive, is illustrated a modiiied form of the invention in which the basic inventive concept herein presented is applied to a stationary display or advertising sign construction. In this form of the invention, the device comprises a sheet metal supporting structure comprising a base member 65 and a pair of side wall members 66 and 61 which together form an enclosed housing having a length sumcient to accommodate the indicia making up the particular desired sign, as hereinafter explained in detail.

The side Wall member 66 extends upwardly from thev base, as shown in Figure 8, and is then bent to provide a horizontal portion having a plurality of flanged apertures 68 therein and from this horizontal portion extends upwardly to provide a backing member 68 to shield and protect the indicia. hereinafter described.

While a plurality of electric light bulbs may be used for sources of vlight in connection with the embodiment of the sign shown, it has been found preferable to utilize a conventional tubular electric light 10 having a length nearly as great as the length of the sign construction as a whole and extending parallel to the rear wall member 61. The rear wall member 61 is highly polished on its interior surface and is shaped to provide a generally parabolic reflector which will concentrate the light from the tubular lamp 18 in a direction downwardly and forwardly toward the Junction of the front wall member 66 and the base member 65. The indicia constituting the sign construction are formed of highly trans-- parent, clear rod-like members 15 and each of the indicia is provided with one or more portions adapted to seatv in and extend through one or more of the apertures 68 in the horizontal portion of the front wall member 66. A fragmentary portion of one of these rod-like members is illustrated in enlarged perspective view in Figure 9 of the drawings and it will be seen that these members have a plurality of generally conical, rough walled depressions which may be molded directly therein or which maybe formed by the point of a drill. These depressions, as has been described above, constitute a substantially continuous series of light scattering centers which extend throughout the exposed portions of the rod-like members 15 and which serve to cause the rod-like members to be illuminated substantially throughout the entire length thereof when light in introduced into one of the axial ends thereof. A series of elliptical reiiectors 11 is disposed generally below each of the apertures 68 and directly in the path of the light concentrated by the reflector 61. These reflectors each serve to direct and concentrate the light upon the axial end of the rod-like members 15 which extend through the apertures 68 in order that a. substantial proportion of the light from the source will be introduced into the axial ends of each of the rod-like members which project through the apertures 68.

These reflectors 11 may conveniently be supported on bracket members 18 permanently secured to the base 65.

' A illter comprising a colored glass member 80 i may conveniently be mounted upon suitable brackets 8| in order to regulate the color of the light introduced-into the axial ends of the rodlike members and thereby cause illumination of the indicia in any particular desired color.

It will be noted that the anged apertures 68 are spaced at substantially uniform `intervals throughout the length of the display device in order that the indicia may conveniently be removably mounted in the display and to facilitate the removal of the particular indicia shown and the substitution therefor of other indicia as may be desired. In the event the configuration of the particular indicia employed is such that all of the apertures 68 are not actually used, a suitable plug 83 may be inserted in the openings not employed in order to prevent the escape of light therethrough.

One particularly important feature of the present invention which is inherent in thedisplay constructions shown in both of the above described modications is clearly illustrated by the sectional view of Figure 10 wherein it is apparent that light introduced into the transparent rodlike members 15 will be disseminated by the scattering centers 16 along the rear side of the rod. All of the light disseminated by these scattering centers which is directed out through the rod toward the front of the sign will be generally focused and concentrated as a result of the lenticular effect inherently obtained from the cross-sectional configuration of the rod, and the proper location with respect to the surface of the rod of the light scatteringcenters. This serves to concentrate the light scattered by the scattering centers and materially serves to increase the brilliance and effectiveness of the sign construction as a whole.

It will be readily appreciated from the foregoing description that but two illustrative embodiments of the invention have been disclosed herein. Obviously, many other and further modifications of the basic inventive concept deflned in the subjoined claims will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. A display device comprising a generally cylindrical transparent rod having light scattering points therealong and means for introducing lightlnto the interior of said rod through one axial end thereof, said light scattering points being located along the side of said rod whereby said rod will tend to focus the light emanating therefrom.

2. A display device comprising a generally cylindrical transparent rod having light scattering points therealong, a source of illumination, and means for introducing light from said source into the axial end of said rod, said light scattering points being located along the side of said rod whereby said rod will tend to focus the light emanating therefrom.

3. A display device comprising a generally cylindrical transparent rod having light scattering points therealong, a source of illumination, means for introducing light from said source into the axial end of said rod and lter means interposed between said source of illumination and said rod whereby to control the color of the light entering said rod, said light scattering points being located along the side of said rod whereby 'said rod will tend to focus the light emanating therefrom.

4. In a display device comprising a generally cylindrical transparent rod having light scattering points therealong, a pair of sources of light, one adapted to introduce light into the interior of said rod from one axial end thereof and the other adapted to introduce light into said rod from the other axial end thereof,l said light scattering points being located along one side of said rod whereby said rod will tend to focus the light emanating therefrom.

5. A display device,v comprising a transparent rod having a portion of the surface thereofpreformed to provide light scattering centerstherealong, a pair of sources of light, one adapted to introduce light into the interior of said rod from one axial end thereof, the other adapted to introduce light into the interior of said rod from the other axialend thereof, .and a iilter interposed between each of said sources of light and said rod.

6. A display device comprising a transparent rod having a portion of the surface thereof preformed to provide light scattering centers therealong, a pair of sources of light, one adapted to introduce light into the interior of said rod from one end thereof, the other adapted to introduce light into the interior of said rod from the opposite end thereof, and a filter interposed between each of said sources of light and said rod, said filters being of different colors and means for selectively illuminating said lights.

GEORGE B. COLLINS. 

